The waterbombing helicopter that crashed was working on the Mount Kingiman bushfire when it went down near Ulladulla.
Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

A firefighting helicopter has crashed on the NSW south coast killing the pilot who was the only person on board.

The chopper crashed near Ulladulla after 2pm on Friday, according to a Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman.

Calls to emergency services indicated the chopper crashed into a tree.

Police arrived to find the male pilot dead among the wreckage at Woodburn.

The NSW Rural Fire Service confirmed the “contracted waterbombing helicopter” was working on the 1700-hectare Mount Kingiman bushfire when it went down.

“NSW RFS firefighters and other emergency and rescue services are on site,” the RFS said in a statement.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will dispatch staff to undertake a full investigation, the agency said in a statement.

They will examine pieces of the wreckage and undertake interviews to piece together what went wrong. A report will also be prepared for the coroner by police.

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“This is a tragic event and my deepest sympathies are with the pilot’s family and friends,” state emergency services minister Troy Grant said in a statement.

Local MP Shelley Hancock said: “The pilot put his life on the line to protect and keep our community safe and he has paid the ultimate price.”

After Friday’s crash the RFS grounded all aircraft fighting the Mount Kingiman bushfire.

The helicopter is a 1994 Kawasaki BK117, which has been registered to Sydney Helicopters since May 2015.

A spokesman for the company said they were still working to gather information and could not confirm details of the crash.

The Sydney Helicopters website notes the company has provided “many hundreds of hours” of aerial waterbombing.

“Every year we supply aircraft to the NSW and ACT Fire Agencies as well as the National Aerial Firefighting Centre to assist with the combat of bushfires in NSW and interstate when required,” it states.

Significant resources from emergency services including a rescue helicopter had been sent to the area, an NSW police spokesman said.